Understanding Didymo Distribution Across Alberta

Citizen Scientists Contribute to Understanding Didymo Distribution Across Alberta

The Discovering Didymo Distribution (D3) project is a collaborative effort between Trout Unlimited Canada (TUC) and the University of Calgary (U of C). The project was piloted in Alberta in 2016 with similar efforts ongoing in the United States involving Trout Unlimited and North Carolina State University.

The D3 project uses a citizen science approach to crowdsource sampling effort. Each sampling season, volunteer citizen scientists are provided with sampling kits and instructions for sample collection and are asked to record observations using a smartphone app or paper data sheets.

The objectives of the D3 project are to expand on the growing understanding of how widespread Didymo is in Alberta (and ultimately, North America), to engage volunteers in a meaningful citizen science project, and improve public awareness of Didymo and fish habitat in general.

Following the success of the D3 project in 2016, TUC and the U of C continued the project in 2017, an instructional video was produced to streamline the training process and expand the geographic extent of citizen scientist participation in the province.

Thanks to the efforts of 95 volunteers, samples were collected all across Alberta including each of the major river basins and new areas where Didymo sampling had not previously occurred. Of the 96 successful samples collected by project participants during in 2017 and analyzed at the University of Calgary, 47 samples did not contain Didymo cells, 25 samples contained cells but had no blooms reported by volunteers, and 24 samples both contained cells and had blooms reported (see table below).

A web map was produced showing the results of the 2017 project as well as historical data from the mountain parks and Vancouver Island.

TUC would like to thank all of the volunteers who have dedicated their time and efforts towards the D3 project; we would also like to thank our many project partners including the Oldman Watershed Council, Red Deer River Watershed Alliance, Lesser Slave Watershed Council, Milk River Watershed Council, Beaver River Watershed Alliance, Northern Lights Fly Fishers Chapter of TUC, and the City of St. Albert. A special thank you to Olds College Water and Applied Sciences instructor David Johnson whose students collected a large portion of the samples in 2017 all across Alberta.

Thanks to funding from the Alberta Conservation Association, the 2018 D3 project will be rolling out again this summer!

Please contact Elliot Lindsay, Project Biologist if you are interested in getting involved.